Mythbusters question

[Little Nemo]

I caught the end of a Mythbuster's rerun episode yesterday. It was the one where they were trying to crack a safe open after filling it with water. They said it was based on a movie scene but they didn't identify the movie in the part of the show I saw. (They did say it may also have happened in a real robbery but this was unconfirmed.) Does anyone know what movie (or movies) it was that used the idea of filling a safe with water in order to blow it open?

[Marley23]

IMDb says it was The Score. I'm linking to the main page. The details are on the trivia page with other spoilers.

[friedo]

A great movie, BTW.

[Alka Seltzer]

Sniped on preview. Yes, it was The Score.

[friedo]

It's just physics.

[Little Nemo]

I haven't seen this one. I should probably check it out. Thanks all.

[Skammer]

Did it work? How did they get the water into the safe?

[smiling bandit]

Originally Posted by Skammer

Did it work? How did they get the water into the safe?

In reverse order: a drill, and not really.

[Little Nemo]

They found that if you could fill a safe up with water it would make it easier to blow it open with explosives. But there were a lot of practical duifficulties with the plan. They found it very difficult to stop the water from leaking out and the explosion damaged the contents of the safe they were supposedly trying to steal.

[Spatial Rift 47]

There's also the potential flaw that a safe's contents of interest might be paper documents, or paper money.

[slitterst]

Originally Posted by Spatial Rift 47

There's also the potential flaw that a safe's contents of interest might be paper documents, or paper money.

Paper money dries very nicely. After all, US currency is made up of 75% cotton. Calling it "paper" is somewhat inaccurate.

And I would hope anyone with the resources to crack a safe has a good idea of what's inside before they choose their method.

[Chronos]

Paper money will survive getting wet.

[obfusciatrist]

True, the paper money will survive, but it should be noted that the presidents will drown and that should make us all sad.

[mlees]

"Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?"

[enalzi]

Originally Posted by smiling bandit

In reverse order: a drill, and not really.

Not a drill, a thermal lance. Which also busted the myth, because they had to use more than one unlike the movie, and they ended up setting the contents inside on fire.

[smiling bandit]

Originally Posted by enalzi

Not a drill, a thermal lance. Which also busted the myth, because they had to use more than one unlike the movie, and they ended up setting the contents inside on fire.

On second look, you are right. They tried a drill and failed to get through in any reasonable time.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Originally Posted by slitterst

Paper money dries very nicely. After all, US currency is made up of 75% cotton. Calling it "paper" is somewhat inaccurate.

And I would hope anyone with the resources to crack a safe has a good idea of what's inside before they choose their method.

(bolding mine)

People say that all the time, and it's simply not true. Paper need not be composed only or even primarily of wood pulp. Paper is made of celluose pulp, which can come from grasses or rags as easily as pulp.